Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study
The professional quality of life (ProQOL) in the veterinary profession has gained increasing attention, yet little is known about its association with the mental health status of Hong Kong veterinarians. This study aimed to examine the impact of elements that make up ProQOL on the risk of suicide, d...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/770 |
| _version_ | 1797581235387629568 |
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| author | Camille K. Y. Chan Paul W. C. Wong |
| author_facet | Camille K. Y. Chan Paul W. C. Wong |
| author_sort | Camille K. Y. Chan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The professional quality of life (ProQOL) in the veterinary profession has gained increasing attention, yet little is known about its association with the mental health status of Hong Kong veterinarians. This study aimed to examine the impact of elements that make up ProQOL on the risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety among Hong Kong veterinarians. All veterinarians registered and practicing in Hong Kong at the time of recruitment were eligible to take part in the e-survey study between 1 January and 31 March 2022. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the data from 56 participants. The results showed that 22.0% of the participants were at risk of suicide, 19.6% had current suicidal ideation, 29.4% had depression, and 29.4% had anxiety symptoms. The findings suggested poor mental health status among Hong Kong veterinarians and were comparable to or more prevalent than those reported in Anglophone and European countries. Results from the binary logistic regression suggested that burnout was a predictor of depressive symptoms, and that secondary traumatic stress showed potential in predicting suicide risk. Our study, however, did not find conclusive evidence supporting compassion satisfaction as a predictor of reduced symptoms of common mental issues. Further investigation into contextual factors affecting the mental health of veterinarians in Hong Kong is warranted. Improving the profession’s mental health literacy and self-efficacy should be prioritized as a suicide prevention strategy to enhance mental health awareness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:02:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6fd15fd990444166982c80d838852146 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T23:02:30Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-6fd15fd990444166982c80d8388521462023-11-19T09:35:32ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-09-0113977010.3390/bs13090770Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional StudyCamille K. Y. Chan0Paul W. C. Wong1Department of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaDepartment of Social Work and Social Administration, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, ChinaThe professional quality of life (ProQOL) in the veterinary profession has gained increasing attention, yet little is known about its association with the mental health status of Hong Kong veterinarians. This study aimed to examine the impact of elements that make up ProQOL on the risk of suicide, depression, and anxiety among Hong Kong veterinarians. All veterinarians registered and practicing in Hong Kong at the time of recruitment were eligible to take part in the e-survey study between 1 January and 31 March 2022. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze the data from 56 participants. The results showed that 22.0% of the participants were at risk of suicide, 19.6% had current suicidal ideation, 29.4% had depression, and 29.4% had anxiety symptoms. The findings suggested poor mental health status among Hong Kong veterinarians and were comparable to or more prevalent than those reported in Anglophone and European countries. Results from the binary logistic regression suggested that burnout was a predictor of depressive symptoms, and that secondary traumatic stress showed potential in predicting suicide risk. Our study, however, did not find conclusive evidence supporting compassion satisfaction as a predictor of reduced symptoms of common mental issues. Further investigation into contextual factors affecting the mental health of veterinarians in Hong Kong is warranted. Improving the profession’s mental health literacy and self-efficacy should be prioritized as a suicide prevention strategy to enhance mental health awareness.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/770burnoutcompassion satisfactioncompassion fatiguemental healthsuicidedepression |
| spellingShingle | Camille K. Y. Chan Paul W. C. Wong Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study Behavioral Sciences burnout compassion satisfaction compassion fatigue mental health suicide depression |
| title | Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Predictors of Suicide Risk and Mental Health Outcomes among Hong Kong Veterinarians: A Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | predictors of suicide risk and mental health outcomes among hong kong veterinarians a cross sectional study |
| topic | burnout compassion satisfaction compassion fatigue mental health suicide depression |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/9/770 |
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